Justice News

MINNEAPOLIS—Yesterday in federal court, a 32-year-old Hutchinson man was sentenced for conspiring to distribute marijuana and methamphetamine. On April 19, 2012, United States District Court Judge Patrick J. Schiltz sentenced Joshua Anthony Munoz to 120 months in prison on one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and methamphetamine. Munoz was indicted on September 8, 2011, and pleaded guilty on October 19, 2011.

In his plea agreement, Munoz admitted that between 2009 and April 29, 2011, he conspired with others to distribute 50 or more grams of methamphetamine as well as five to ten kilograms of marijuana. In addition, Munoz admitted that on April 29, 2011, he was arrested and authorities found in his possession approximately 221 grams of methamphetamine.

Following sentencing, Dan Moren, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (“DEA”) Minneapolis-St. Paul District Office, said, “Mr. Munoz has an extensive criminal history spanning more than a decade, and he chose to align himself with a prominent Mexican-based drug-trafficking organization in order to elevate his stature in the criminal community. DEA is proud to have partnered with the Hutchinson and St. Paul police departments, the Ramsey and McLeod county sheriff’s offices, and the Southwest Metro Drug Task Force in removing a significant methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana distributor in Minnesota.”

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Hollenhorst.